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John Gibson & Andrew Musgrove

The Geordie Man City legend who broke Newcastle hearts and was very unapologetic about it

Younger Newcastle United supporters will remember the name Graham Fenton, the Geordie who derailed the club's 1995-1996 Premier League charge as he came off the bench to net a double for Blackburn in 1996.

But before Fenton, there was another boyhood Toon fan who broke the hearts of the Tyneside public with a moment of magic against United - this time in a cup final at Wembley.

His name? Dennis Tueart.

The Heaton-born forward stole the show at the 1976 League Cup Final, netting the winner with a superb overhead kick.

It was a defeat that hurt more than most as John Gibson, speaking on the latest episode of Gibbo's Corner in which he picks the greatest Geordies never to have played for Newcastle, recalls.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE OF GIBBO'S CORNER

"We've never won the League Cup - that's the closest Newcastle got and he broke our hearts," Gibson said.

"After we lost that final I went downstairs to the dressing rooms to share my commiserations with the Newcastle players and get some quotes, and just as I went into the corridor who should come out with the cup? Dennis Tueart.

"I said to him: 'you so and so!' with a smile on my face, and he said back to me: 'I tell you what pal, that's what you get when you reject one of the best players in the country'.

"And what he meant was that Newcastle had rejected him. When he was 15, he had gone on trial at the club but was told he was far too small and he wasn't going to make it.

"He went away and signed for Sunderland."

Tueart hit 46 goals in his time at Roker Park, winning the FA Cup in 1973 before going on to have a prolific career with Man City.

"He was a lad from Heaton," Gibbo added, "a wonderful, wonderful player - it's very difficult for me to say that because he was a Sunderland star and then beat Newcastle in a cup final with Manchester City.

"But you have to say he was an outstanding player."

When asked whether rejection from Newcastle at such a young age was a motivator for Tueart's career, Gibbo continued: "It depends who you are, I guess in Dennis' case it most certainly did. It both hurt and spurred him on, 'you might think I'm too small but I can play, and I will prove it'.

"He joined Sunderland at the age of 16 in 1968 and by 1973, he was winning the FA Cup at Wembley in the most fairytale fashion that was possible.

"When you look at how Sunderland won the FA Cup that year, it's almost as staggering as how Leicester City won the Premier League all those years later."

You can listen to the full episode of Gibbo's Corner: The Geordie Greats who never played for Newcastle United by clicking here.

The list includes The Charlton brothers, Michael Carrick and many others.

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